Legacy FC 23 results: Tim Means retires Pete Spratt, Garcia shines

Following his release from the UFC, Tim Means thanked Legacy FC for giving him a job. After his first appearance for the promotion, it looks like he’ll be employed as long as he likes.

Means, who was cut by the UFC after a 2-2 stint, got down to business early in a short-notice fight against fellow octagon vet Pete Spratt, earning a first-round KO. Afterward, the 42-year-old Spratt announced his retirement from fighting following a 14-year career that included 48 fights.

“You’ve probably seen the last of Pete Spratt,” he said. “I had four guys win tonight, so it looks like it’s better for me to be coaching.”

Spratt lay on the canvas for several moments after taking a pair of elbows in close that sent him face-first into the canvas at the 2:24 mark of the first frame. Despite winging hard punches and kicks, the rangy Means was able to stay out of danger in striking exchanges.

“I got this fight on last minute, so I’m happy to be here,” Means said afterward. “Legacy gave me a job, so Legacy, thank you.”

Means (19-5) is now back in the win column after his pair of UFC defeats, which snapped a nine-fight win streak. Spratt (25-23) ends his career on back-to-back losses.

Garcia triumphant in yet another slugfest

Early on, it looked like Leonard Garcia would add another clip to his highlight reel in his second bout since his release from the UFC. Unfortunately, Nick Gonzalez had other ideas, and capitalized on Garcia’s overaggressiveness.

After rocking Gonzales with punches in the first frame, Garcia left himself exposed and was dropped by a solid shot.

“He took my legs out from under me, and I got up,” he said afterward. “That happens to me a lot, because my feet are never underneath me.”

As per the usual with bouts involving Garcia, the blow ignited a slugfest between the fighters in which both took heavy punches and were wobbled.

It wasn’t fists, however, that threatened to swing momentum permanently in Garcia’s favor. The UFC vets persistent leg kicks in the second frame took Gonzalez’s legs from him and almost stopped the fight. But somehow, Gonzalez righted himself, and the two continued to slug it out on the feet. Garcia’s kicks continued to do damage, and a head kick smacked Gonzalez square in the face toward the end of the frame.

The fireworks couldn’t last forever, of course. Garcia worked to get the fight to the mat, and though Gonzalez got back to his feet, he managed to find the position again and earn a submission finish by rear-naked choke at the 4:43 mark of the third frame.

Garcia (17-11-1), who now enjoys back-to-back wins since a five-loss skid forced his UFC exit, remains unapologetic about his all-guts fighting style, “I just come out and if the guy’s going to hit me, man, let’s play that game all day long.”

Gonzalez (18-12), meanwhile, drops to 3-4 in his past seven outings.

Odoms batters Bellator vet Linderman

A potential slugfest between Bellator vet D.J. Linderman (15-6) and Richard Odoms (8-1) quickly deteriorated into a lackluster clinch-fest. When Odoms got space, he landed a few hard body kicks, but Linderman initiated a clinch.

The same happened in the second frame, and like the first, Linderman couldn’t get the fight to the ground. Odoms nearly finished the fight then with a flurry of punches near the bell. Odoms unleashed in the third round in an attempt to finish the fight, but Linderman hung on by a thread. Still, 30-27 scores for Odoms were no surprise.

Narvaez takes advantage of guard-pulls, extends undefeated streak

It looked like Hayward Charles (9-5) would be the one to hand Roger Narvaez (6-0) his first pro defeat as he took the fight down and nearly earned an arm-triangle choke and rear-naked choke. But the unbeaten fighter eventually worked free of danger and delivered payback with some ground and pound.

Charles switched tactics in the second and swung for the fences. The flurry appeared to be his last gasp, as he pulled guard and lay haplessly on the mat. But when the referee prematurely stood them up, it was Narvaez that tumbled to the canvas and took punches from the bottom.

With both men running on fumes, Charles worked to get the fight to the mat and pulled guard several times when he couldn’t get the takedown. The decision won him not a submission, but several hammerfists and punches to the face, and a split decision loss. Narvaez improved to 6-0 with 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 scores.

Grappler Pinheiro triumphs over striker and ref

Jiu-jitsu specialist Rodrigo Pinheiro (4-1) found his home early in a fight with striker Joseph Daily (4-5). So he was none too pleased when he was stood up in half-guard by the referee, who’s calls for action came early and often.

Daily immediately benefitted from the move, slapping Pinheiro with a hard leg kick. But he got a little too loose with a follow-up shot to the body, and Pinheiro took the opportunity to grab another takedown. There, he quickly worked to Daily’s back and locked a rear-naked choke at the 3:46 mark of the first frame.

Simpson refuses to be bullied by Granados

Paulina Granados (2-1) and Tessa Simpson (3-1) initially engaged in a high-pace kickboxing match. Granadaos, however, took the steam out of her opponent’s punches by pressing the action against the cage before taking the fight to the ground. Simpson was no easy mark on the mat and forced Granados to reconsider when she threatened an armbar.

Granados opened the fight’s second frame by pressing the action back to the fence. But this time around, Simpson was the one who took the fight to the ground, where the gained mount and threatened with a rear-naked choke for the majority of the round. Simpson again asserted her dominance on the mat in the third frame, smothering Granados on the mat. Her grappling excellence left little for the judges to ponder, and unanimous scorecards of 30-27 came as no surprise.